Saving the girl child in today’s day and age is a lot more than saving lives today, it’s a lot about creating an environment of gender equality, especially when almost half of the country’s population belongs to the concerning gender category. This ‘almost half’ figure stands at 48 per cent of India’s total population, a figure that has been steadily dropping since the 1960s, possibly even before that. In such a scenario, if you’re wondering what you can do to help, apart from helping those around you, here’s a list of organisations supporting the girl child in India.
1. Nanhi Kali Foundation
Based in the busy Dadar, Mumbai, Nanhi Pari Foundation is an Indian girl child rights organization. The organisation works for the education, health and nutrition of the girl child in Indian to help them realise their full potential. The organisation helps by providing education and medical support to girl children while also supporting eight different orphanages across the country. The organisation accepts help in the form of donations.
2. Milaan Foundation
Social organisation Milaan Foundation works towards empowering, educating and supporting the girl child in India. By 2030, Milaan’s goal is to empower 10 million girls across India and create female leaders. One of the two programs run by the foundation includes The Milaan School, launched in 2007 in a remote village called Kaintain in Sitapur District, Uttar Pradesh. Another program run by the organisation is the Girl Icon Program, under which Milaan works towards the prevention of child marriage, girl child education, adolescent health as well as gender equality.
3. Mukka Maar
This unique organisation started back in February 2016, with a free self-defence class for just 5 girls from a slum area next to a beach in Mumbai, to help them learn how to defend themselves. According to the National Crime Record Bureau, as many as 109 children were sexually abused every day in India in 2018, many of them being girls. Mukka Maar, one of the few organisations taking up the cause of self-defence amongst girls has now tied up with MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) to help girls in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades across 1100+ schools, learn self-defence.
4. Plan India
Plan India focuses on several issues related to the girl child as well as women, ranging from child protection and hygiene to education and economic empowerment. Some of the notable programs by the organisation include the Let Girls Be Born Program (since 2005), Missing Child Alert, Girls Advocacy Alliance and the Nutrition India Programme. You can donate as well as join the organisation to contribute.
5. Unicef
Unicef is a well-known international organisation that caters to all children-related issues. In India as well, the organisation works towards gender equality, health and medical needs, education and other areas of impact and necessity. The organisation accepts help in the form of donations as well as volunteers.
Make sure to always do your research before getting involved with organisations involved in issues of social importance. It’s crucial to note that being a part of any such cause comes with crucial responsibilities as well. It could be helpful to have a conversation with a team member of the organisation to better know the work they do and the people they help.